Valorant is slowly establishing itself in eSports. A clear sign of the shooter’s relevance in eSports is that G2, one of the largest eSports organizations in the world and the biggest LoL team in Europe, is already massively investing in Valorant and setting up a top team for the game.
What is G2? Behind the name is one of the five largest eSports organizations in the world. G2 fields teams for a variety of games, including the largest European LoL team. The organization was founded in 2015 by former LoL pro Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago and investor Jens Hilgers and is based in Berlin.
What does G2 have to do with Valorant? To make a strong showing in the upcoming first official Valorant eSports tournament series “Ignition Series,” G2 wants to build a top team for Riot’s shooter. Additionally, the first tournament of the series, the “G2 eSports Valorant Invitational,” is hosted by G2.
The first player G2 has signed for their team is former CS:GO pro Óscar “Mixwell” Cañellas Colocho. He is among the best Valorant players in Europe and already won the tournament “Twitch Rivals: Valorant Launch Showdown,” which took place a few days after the release of Valorant.
More top players who will complete the team around Mixwell are expected to be announced soon. The G2 tournament starts today, June 19, 2020. There is a prize pool of 15,000 euros up for grabs.
Why is G2 entering Valorant so early?
This is what the G2 boss says: Valorant is still a young title and needs to establish itself in eSports. So why is G2 making such a strong investment in the game so early by assembling a top team of professionals and also holding the first major tournament?
In an interview with Forbes, G2 CEO Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago, who was himself a pro in LoL, addressed the question of why so much is being invested in Valorant:
Valorant is a top title, and it combines some of the elements that make games attractive to play and watch, just like League of Legends has succeeded in doing. G2 eSports aims to lay the groundwork for what eSports will become in the future. That is our role in the industry, and this step fits that role very well as we hope to inspire other organizations to assemble strong teams and together build a fun, competitive landscape. This is a high-risk, high-reward initiative, and we couldn’t be happier to be at the forefront of efforts with Riot Games.
Carlos “ocelote” Rodríguez Santiago
G2 also wants to play a significant role in shaping the eSports landscape of Valorant and actively contribute to it. Therefore, considerable money and effort are being invested in the game now. If G2’s strategy pays off, the organization could end up in a strong position in the hopefully successful Valorant eSports scene.
This should result in good deals with sponsors and partners in the long run. That Riot entrusted G2 with the first tournament of the official eSports scene is a good sign that G2 is on the right track.
The big G2 tournament starts on June 19, 2020, and runs all weekend until June 21. More tournaments in Europe and North America are planned for the coming week, from June 26 to June 28. By the way, there is a funny anecdote about G2’s new star Mixwell. He was temporarily banned by Valorant’s aggressive anti-cheat tool Vanguard for trying to charge a phone on his PC.
